


getting a taste

by marmolita



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cooking, Episode Ignis Verse 2, Fluff, Food Porn, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Episode Ignis Verse 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-17 22:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16983357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marmolita/pseuds/marmolita
Summary: "I think perhaps a vesproom-rubbed behemoth roast with a red wine demi glace," Ignis muses.  "Or we could go with the Altissian tradition for the solstice and have a full menu of seafood.  Admittedly it's not actually the solstice, but the concept is the same, and you do like fish.""Why don't you ask the chef to make you somethingyoulike?" Noctis asks.  "It doesn't have to always be whatIlike.  I'm not asking you to cook me an anniversary feast."





	getting a taste

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JazzRaft](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzRaft/gifts).



> I was excited to get this assignment! I'm kind of a foodie, and I had a lot of fun researching possible recipes and then modifying them to fit the FFXV ingredients. JazzRaft, I hope you enjoy this! (See the end notes for links to some inspirational recipes I referred to.)

It's been eleven months since the Dawn, and Ignis is exhausted, but there is no way in hell he's going to let the anniversary of the end of the darkness go uncelebrated. Or rather, celebrated without his cooking.

"Specs," Noctis says, as they make their way from a meeting on the status of local reconstruction to a conference call with Ravus and Camelia Claustra, "come on. You don't have to cook. You've done enough, keeping this country together and helping with the rebuilding."

"I think perhaps a vesproom-rubbed behemoth roast with a red wine demi glace," Ignis muses. "Or we could go with the Altissian tradition for the solstice and have a full menu of seafood. Admittedly it's not actually the solstice, but the concept is the same, and you do like fish."

"Why don't you ask the chef to make you something _you_ like?" Noctis asks. "It doesn't have to always be what _I_ like. I'm not asking you to cook me an anniversary feast." He sounds a little embarrassed, as he always does when speaking of the night he ascended the throne and saved the world from darkness. Ignis has learned from long years of experience that when speaking of his accomplishments, Noctis is either humble and shy or cocky and arrogant -- there's not much in between. He can go from blushing over having helped a lost child to crowing about catching a giant fish seamlessly. It's part of what Ignis loves about him, though he'd never admit it.

"The holiday is to celebrate _you_ , Your Majesty. Forgive me if I'd like to combine my interest in cuisine with my desire to give you the thanks you deserve."

Noctis sighs, stopping outside the conference room door. "At least let me help? You helped bring the Dawn, after all. Besides, you know I can't wait to try your new recipes," he adds, nudging Ignis with his shoulder.

Ignis laughs. "Very well. I'll let you be my official taste tester. Do you think that's more or less responsibility than being King?"

Noctis grins. "I'll let you know after I start the job."

*

Ignis is sprinkling arapaima roe onto the bacon-wrapped karlabos claw hors d'oeuvres when there's a knock at his door. Wiping his hands on a dish towel, he goes to open it and let in his expected guest.

"Smells great already," Noctis says, stepping inside. "I thought you were gonna let me help cook though."

"Yes, well, I'll have some work for you later. For now come in and give me your opinion on some of these appetizers." Ignis heads back to his kitchen, and Noctis follows after taking off his shoes. He's been cooking for a couple of hours already, preparing ingredients and hors d'oeuvres, but there's still enough work to last the two of them the rest of the evening. "I hope you don't have any more meetings today, Your Majesty, because I expect to spend the next five hours or so in the kitchen."

Noctis laughs. "You'd know better than I would if I had any more meetings," he says. "But no, I told Gladio I had something more important to do than training, and the reconstruction effort can take care of itself for one day." He reaches over to try to poke his finger into the Duscaen orange-ginger sauce that's sitting ready for one of the desserts, and Ignis raps his knuckles with a wooden spoon.

"Hands out of the food, please, Noct. That's not the one waiting for you. Here, try one of these." He picks up a bacon-wrapped karlabos claw and holds it out to Noctis. To his surprise, instead of taking it from his hand, Noctis leans in and eats the morsel right from his fingertips. Noct's lips brush against his fingers as he does it, and Ignis feels his face heating up.

"Mmm," Noctis moans, "that's good, Iggy. Is that arapaima roe?"

Giving himself a little shake to clear his head, Ignis says, "Yes, we just received a shipment from Altissia. The population is slow to recover, but there was enough of a harvest this year for them to export some, and an entire case was specially set aside for the Dawn Festival."

Noctis frowns a little. "Have the other crops and livestock recovered enough to feed everyone? I don't want to lay around the Citadel eating caviar while people are starving."

Ignis smiles fondly. Of course that's what Noctis would worry about. "The population is low enough that it's not a problem," he says. "I think there's significantly more demand for Saxham rice than there is for arapaima roe these days."

"Still, I bet there are some stray cats out there who'd like it," Noctis muses. "Okay, what's next? Want me to do some chopping?"

"I'd like you to taste this and tell me whether you prefer it to the last one. Ulwaat berry and sheep's milk cheese crostini." He holds it out, and this time Noctis takes it with his fingers, needing two bites to eat the whole thing. Ignis isn't sure if he's relieved or disappointed.

"Also good," Noctis says, the words muffled a little by the food that's still in his mouth.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full, Noct," Ignis scolds him reflexively. Old habits die hard, he supposes.

Noctis swallows. "Sorry. It's good too, I like them both. Do I have to pick only one?"

"Well, I had thought perhaps tonight I'd try a number of different recipes, and we could test them out and decide which we prefer for the actual celebration. I've got one more appetizer though I'm afraid it may be less to your taste. Endives with sesame-beet dip." He picks up an endive leaf and uses it to gesture to the bowl of dip.

"I suppose if I'm your official taste tester, I'd better taste everything," Noctis says with a sigh. Ignis smiles and scoops some dip into the leaf before holding it out to him. Again, Noctis leans in and takes a bite straight from Ignis's hand with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. What exactly is he playing at? "Not bad," Noctis decides, "for a vegetable."

"I think we'll go with the bacon-wrapped karlabos claw, then, especially since we can use up some of the arapaima roe. Now then, that's all I had prepared ahead. I think it's time to put you to work."

Noctis grins and spreads his arms. "Your orders, General?" Ignis rolls his eyes at Noct's use of one of his formal titles. Besides, it's not like the general can give orders to the king, in any case. Noctis seems to have things a bit backwards.

"Get the champagne from the refrigerator and the pitcher next to it, if you please," he says, turning himself to cut up more Duscaen oranges. "I have two cocktail recipes to try. The champagne glasses are in the cabinet above your head, Noct-- no, no that one, the-- yes, there you go. Fill it a third of the way from the pitcher and the rest with the champagne. I'll work on making the other -- it's a twist on an old fashioned." He finishes up the oranges and grabs two tumblers, then digs into his liquor cabinet for the bitters and a bottle of whiskey, one that they'd recovered from someone's abandoned rooms in the Citadel after the Dawn.

While Noctis prepares the first set of cocktails, Ignis muddles an orange slice with some sugar, the bitters, and a little warm water in each tumbler, then adds ice and the whiskey and drops in another orange slice for garnish. He turns around at the same time as Noctis does, and there's an awkward moment where they both try to give each other a drink but have no free hands to accept them. Laughing, Noctis puts down one of his glasses and takes one Ignis is holding, exchanging it for the other champagne glass.

Noctis takes a sip of the old fashioned first, and makes a bit of a face. Then he tries the champagne cocktail and seems far more pleased by it. Ignis laughs. "I suppose I should have guessed you'd prefer your drinks sweeter, even after all these years."

"I was asleep for ten years," Noctis gripes, "but Bahamut didn't change my palate." He looks at the old fashioned, his brows drawing together. "My dad used to drink this kind of thing, didn't he? It's not some rite of kingship to force yourself to like it?" He takes another sip and makes the same face again.

"Your father did indeed enjoy whiskey," Ignis says, "but that doesn't mean you have to. Though I will say, after you drink the first few sips, you'll find it goes down easier."

"Yeah, because I'll be too drunk to notice it. That's powerful stuff." Noctis takes another sip of champagne and asks, "What's in the champagne? Is this pomegranate?"

"It is," he confirms, a little surprised, "though I didn't expect you to recognize it. A sensitive palate, indeed."

"How about you? Which do you like better?"

Ignis carefully takes a sip of each of the drinks, and he has to agree with Noctis. "While the old fashioned is traditional and the orange gives it a nice boost, you're right, the champagne cocktail lends itself much more to the celebratory nature. I suppose I'll just pour these out."

"Wait!" Noctis says, stopping him before he can reach the sink. Ignis raises his eyebrows and Noctis shrugs. "Don't want to waste good liquor. Gladio would kill me."

"Gladio's not here," Ignis says archly. "Unless you've invited him or Prompto without telling me. I suppose I have enough food to feed us all here . . . "

Strangely enough, Noctis blushes and looks away. "Nah, I wanted it to be just you and me tonight." He takes the two tumblers and sets them on the counter ("For later," he says with a smile that's a little shy and a little earnest and makes Ignis very confused), then looks back to Ignis for instructions. "What's next? Need me to chop some stuff up?"

"Yes, that would be perfect," Ignis says, pulling his mandoline out from a bottom cabinet. "Do you think you can operate this without slicing your fingers off? It's very sharp. The safety holder is there for a reason." He sets it on the counter and reaches for the bowl full of Leiden potatoes he peeled earlier, sitting in cold water to keep them from discoloring.

"Ignis, I've wielded thirty-four swords, fourteen polearms, and sixteen varieties of daggers, _not_ including the royal arms. And that's not even including stuff like the circular saw. I think I can cut up some potatoes without killing myself."

Ignis only raises an eyebrow. "Of course, Your Majesty. I do hope you're going to slice my potatoes, not stab them to death, though."

"I wouldn't hurt an unarmed potato," Noctis says with a grin as he begins slicing. "What are these for?"

"A potato and aegir root gratin. The aegir roots are also ready to be sliced, by the way. We'll get it in the oven while we prepare the other side dishes. I've already got a roast cooking, and it'll be the same temperature. The fish can be prepared on the stove top."

"Aegir root, huh? Don't gratins have cheese?"

"Yes, this one has gruyere, which should complement the flavors wonderfully. I'll work on grating it while you slice."

They fall into a comfortable silence, working side by side in the kitchen. This kind of quiet reminds him of days long past, when he used to cook for Noctis -- or with Noctis -- in his apartment in the city. The flood of nostalgia overwhelms him for a moment, and he pauses in his grating.

"Hasn't been like this for a while, has it?" Noctis asks gently.

Ignis clears his throat and begins grating cheese again. "No, it hasn't."

"Remember when you were making creme brulee but you forgot your blowtorch, and I cast fira on them and nearly burned down the kitchen?" Noctis nudges Ignis with his shoulder, and it sends a warm tingle through Ignis's body.

"How could I forget?" he says drily. "The fire alarm triggered a security protocol and we were swarmed with Kingsglaive. It's a miracle we managed to eat dinner at all." In fact, they'd ended up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the Citadel kitchen, because Noctis had to be evacuated from his apartment until the damage could be assessed. He remembers the night well, because he'd leaned over to wipe a bit of peanut butter off of the corner of Noct's mouth with his thumb, and their eyes had caught each other's for a long moment. He couldn't say what would have happened if the cleaning staff hadn't chosen that moment to start mopping the floor, but it had left him with a warm and fuzzy feeling and his heart pounding.

"It was a good night, despite all that," Noctis says, shooting Ignis a sideways smile. "Maybe tonight will be the same."

"Are you planning to burn down my kitchen?" Ignis asks, because he can't bring himself to consider the alternative interpretation of Noct's words.

"Can't," Noctis says, waggling his fingers. "No more magic, remember? All done with the potatoes and aegir root."

Ignis adjusts his glasses and checks how much cheese he's managed to grate. It looks sufficient, so he gets out a square pan to make the small portion of gratin. They layer the ingredients together, pour over the sauce, and Ignis pops the pan into the oven next to the roast.

The next dish to prepare is a gourmet variation on deviled eggs. Ignis pulls the birdbeast eggs he boiled and peeled that morning out of the refrigerator and sets them on the counter along with a mixing bowl. "Halve these lengthwise and scoop the yolks into that bowl, if you please," he instructs, then starts pulling out the rest of the ingredients.

"Deviled eggs?" Noctis guesses correctly, slicing through the eggs smoothly.

"With a bit of a twist," Ignis agrees. "Truffle oil and caviar." He measures the ingredients into the bowl as Noctis slices and scoops, then has Noctis stir up the filling while he lays out the egg halves on a platter. Noctis dips a finger into the filling and brings it to his lips, taking a taste before Ignis can quite manage to shoo him off. If his eyes catch a little on what Noct's lips look like around that finger, well, he's had decades of practice of looking without getting caught. Noctis shaved off his beard a few months ago, and his clean-shaven jaw makes him look more like the young man he was when Ignis fell in love with him.

He turns hurriedly to the refrigerator to get out the vegetables. It's stupid, really, to harbor these feelings, but no matter how he's tried, he's never been able to love anyone the way he loves his king. "I know you hate carrots," he says, clearing his throat, "but perhaps I could convince you to eat red cabbage. We'll saute it with apples and some sugar and vinegar. Raisins too, if you'd like."

Noctis raises a skeptical eyebrow. "I suppose a bite couldn't hurt, since you asked nicely." Ignis shows him how to scoop the filling into the eggs and top each one with a tiny spoonful of caviar, then lets Noctis work on his own while he shreds the cabbage.

"You know," Ignis says, "I thought for a long time about what to make for dessert. The celebration is for you, after all, and my first thought was to make your favorite pastries. Now that I've got the recipe down, they'd be perfect." He looks sideways at Noctis. "But I wasn't certain if you'd want a reminder of Tenebrae, or Lady Lunafreya." They don't ever talk about Lunafreya. Noctis has always been quiet in his grief, and even as a teenager and young man he'd kept their notebook private. Ignis, like everyone else, has given him plenty of space, but he thinks perhaps it's been long enough now that he can mention her name.

Noctis hums, dolloping caviar onto a few more eggs. "She ought to be a part of the Dawn Festival," he says finally, his voice quiet. "It's a good time to remember her. She gave her life for the Dawn."

"So did you," Ignis says gently.

"But you brought me back. You and everyone else."

"It was mostly Ravus," Ignis demurs. "Blood of the Oracle and such."

Noctis bumps him with his shoulder. "I know. Don't sell yourself short though, Iggy. Actually, speaking of Ravus, maybe we can see if he's got the sylleblossoms blooming again. We could get some flowers for the festival; Luna would have liked that."

He sounds a little wistful, but his face is calm, and it makes Ignis glad to see that Noctis has healed this much. "I'll call him first thing tomorrow morning," Ignis agrees.

"So," Noctis says, when he's finished preparing the eggs and Ignis is beginning to saute the cabbage, "no pastries, huh? What did you pick instead?"

"Here, peel and slice this apple for me, will you?" Ignis asks. Noctis nods and takes the apple, and Ignis stirs the cabbage before taking a sip of his drink and saying, "I admit to maybe having gone a bit overboard coming up with dessert ideas. I have the ingredients for a chocolate-ulwaat berry mousse and an orange-ginger galette, and I prepared creme caramels earlier today."

Noctis makes a pleased sound that sends shivers down Ignis's spine. "Sounds delicious," he says. Is that the same Taelpar harvest galette you used to make?"

"The very one, with a bit of an update. You liked it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, it's a good one. I don't think I've had that in . . . well, a decade, I guess."

Ignis adds the sliced apples Noctis hands him to the cabbage and stirs. "I'll have to make up lost time and cook for you more often."

"I'm still not going to eat carrots," Noctis replies with a smile, "but I wouldn't complain about having you cook for me. Can I eat the eggs now?"

"Of course. Do save one for me, won't you?"

Noctis takes a bite of one of the eggs and moans in appreciation. "That's really good." He pops the rest in his mouth, then picks up another and holds it out to Ignis -- holds it to his lips, as a matter of fact, and he meets Noct's eyes in surprise. Noctis only looks at him expectantly, and Ignis opens his mouth.

"Mmm," Ignis hums, the caviar bursting on his tongue as the creamy texture of the egg spreads in his mouth, undercut by the earthy truffle oil. He swallows, and Noctis holds up the remainder of the egg. When Ignis takes it in his mouth, it's his lips that brush Noct's fingers this time, and both of them blush. "They turned out quite well," he says, turning to stir the cabbage again. It's nicely wilted, and he adds the remaining ingredients and checks the timer on the potatoes. Enough time to start the fish while the side dishes finish up, he thinks, and pulls the radicchio, rosemary, and Allural sea bass fillet out of the fridge. Gathering up the garlic, a jar of olives, and another Duscaen orange, he asks Noctis, "Chop or juice?"

"Juice," Noctis decides, taking the orange. Ignis sets his ingredients on the cutting board and pulls out the juicer.

He's halfway through chopping the garlic when Noctis says, "You know, I never really thought about what would happen if I didn't marry Luna."

Ignis is surprised by the topic, and uncertain how best to reply. "Oh?" he asks, measuring out the olives. Noctis isn't looking at him, instead focusing on squeezing the orange over the juicer.

"We don't have so many countries anymore. I don't need a political marriage. And even if I did, it's not like there are any eligible candidates."

Ignis glances over, but Noctis still isn't looking at him. "Not interested in marrying Secretary Claustra?" he suggests. It gets the hoped-for laugh out of Noctis. "Ms. Highwind would be the only other relevant candidate."

Noctis snorts. "Yeah, right. Anyway, I just mean that I don't-- that I can . . . be with whoever I want."

He's not entirely sure why his heart is racing. Is Noctis telling him this because he's found somebody? Is he just making idle conversation? Is it . . . something else? "I suppose you can," Ignis says, willing his voice to be steady.

Noctis finishes with the orange and offers the cup of juice to Ignis. "Do you ever think about . . . dating?"

Ignis opens the oven and checks on the potatoes and meat. "These should be ready in a few more minutes," he says. "I'll go ahead and cook the fish." He uses the time to let himself think about how best to answer Noct's question, as he heats some oil and adds the Allural sea bass to the pan to brown. When he glances over his shoulder, Noctis is downing the last of his drink and picking up one of the ones he'd set aside earlier, making a face at it. "I'd be lying if I said I never thought about it," Ignis says eventually, still watching the fish to ensure it doesn't overcook. "But I have far too many things to do to try to sustain a relationship."

Noctis only hums, and Ignis turns the fish and adds the remaining ingredients. "So you don't have a date lined up for Gladio's wedding next month?" he says after a while, smiling up at Ignis.

"Heavens, no," Ignis says. He plates up the fish, and hands a pair of potholders to Noctis so he can take the meat and potatoes out of the oven. The demi glace has been simmering on the back of his stovetop since before Noctis arrived, and he shows Noctis how to plate the meat and leaves him to it. When they're done, they've got a full array of main courses and side dishes.

"You want to bring all this to the table, or should we eat in the kitchen?" Noctis asks.

"The table, I think," Ignis replies. "Why don't you take them over there while I pop the galettes in the oven? I have the oranges sliced and the sauce and crust ready, so they'll only take a moment to assemble."

When he comes out of the kitchen, Noctis has laid out the table neatly, all the dishes arranged in an attractive display, their drinks in the proper place and flatware lined up perfectly. Noctis pulls out a chair, then waves Ignis into it with a courtly bow. Ignis rolls his eyes, but he sits in the chair and lets Noctis push it back in. "You'll have to tell me which you like the best," Ignis says as Noctis takes the seat across from him. "So far it was the bacon-wrapped karlabos, I believe, correct?"

"And the eggs," Noctis adds. "Too bad I couldn't have caught you a fresh bluefin. I feel like some Scientia-style sushi would be a great throwback."

Ignis laughs. "The next occasion we have enough free time to go fishing, I'll be sure to prepare some for you. Now dig in, before it gets cold."

The food is delicious. The different modifications he tried on the recipes all seem to have worked wonderfully, and Ignis enjoys everything. Noctis seems to enjoy it too, given how he spends more time stuffing his face than talking. He even tries the cabbage, and proclaims it "acceptable." The potatoes are a success, and Noctis decides that as much as he likes fish, he prefers the roast.

They talk about the food while they work their way through it, until the timer for the galettes goes off. Ignis heads back into the kitchen and Noctis follows, bringing his drink along. "So, too busy for dating, huh?" Noctis says as Ignis pulls the galettes from the oven. They're perfectly browned, and he carefully slides them onto a rack to cool before replying.

"Yes, well, when one is the right hand of the king, one has rather a lot of work to do."

"Almost as much as the king himself," Noctis says with a grin. "Maybe even more."

"At least a comparable amount," Ignis offers, opening the fridge to pull out the rest of the dessert ingredients. "If you don't mind a bit of a wait, we can make the chocolate mousse. After we cook it it'll take about an hour to set."

Noctis takes a sip of his drink and sets it aside. "You got more of the champagne? It's better than this stuff." Ignis hands him the bottle, along with the pomegranate syrup, and watches Noctis make himself another drink out of the corner of his eye while he finishes locating all the ingredients and setting up his mixer.

"Why don't you stir the chocolate over the double-boiler while I whip the cream and the egg whites?" he suggests, handing Noctis a bar of chocolate and the proper cookware.

Noctis accepts them easily enough, and breaks the chocolate into bits into the bowl, reaching over to turn the heat to low like he's worked in Ignis's kitchen a thousand times. He hasn't, but it's similar enough to Noct's own kitchen that it shouldn't surprise him that Noctis knows his way around it. Ignis is working on whipping the cream when Noctis says, "What about dating someone else who's just as busy as you are? Maybe someone you work with?"

Ignis fumbles a little with the mixer, switching it on too quickly so that a few flecks of cream fly out of the bowl. He licks at one on his lip and takes off his glasses to clean them off, then decides to use the noise of the mixer as an excuse not to reply. What is Noctis getting at? Is he trying to set him up with someone?

When the cream forms soft peaks, Ignis turns off the mixer and swaps the bowl for the one full of egg whites. "I'm afraid the Marshal is a confirmed bachelor," he jokes before turning it on again.

He hazards a glance at Noctis, but Noctis looks pensive, frowning into the chocolate as he stirs it. By the time the egg whites and sugar are whipped Noctis has switched off the heat, and Ignis takes another moment to fetch the ulwaat berry puree from the fridge. "Here," he says, "add this to the chocolate, then we'll mix it all together. And I was joking about Cor, if that wasn't obvious. I've no interest in a man old enough to be my father."

"Right," Noctis says, stirring in the puree. "Obviously. I knew that." He almost sounds relieved.

Ignis is left feeling a little flustered by the whole exchange, but uncertain how to fix it. So, as he always does, he ignores it and focuses instead on his recipe. "That looks good," he says, taking the bowl from the double boiler. "Give me a moment to do the rest of the steps, then I'll let you have a taste before we put it in the fridge to set."

Noctis steps back and Ignis begins folding the egg whites into the chocolate, then folds in the cream. It looks and smells delicious, and he reaches in the drawer for a spoon. "I do believe it's come out quite well," he says as he scoops up a bit for Noctis to taste. "Here, why don't you--"

Ignis stops halfway through his sentence, because as soon as he turns around Noctis is _right there_ in front of him, and he doesn't even have a chance to close his mouth before Noctis is kissing him. Ignis's brain short-circuits, and he thinks, stupidly, _the mousse_ , before the spoon falls from his hand.

The clatter startles them both, and Noctis pulls back suddenly, then rubs the back of his head in an awkward gesture he's never outgrown. "Um. Sorry, I just . . . wow, this isn't going the way I planned it at all. Ignis, will you be my date to Gladio's wedding?"

He blinks a few times, waiting for something bizarre to happen to confirm that he's dreaming. But Noctis's smile starts to falter, affirming that this is, in fact, real life, and Ignis doesn't think anymore. He simply reacts, leaning down and pressing his lips to Noct's in a clumsy attempt to show him how he feels.

Noctis stumbles back a step and his heel collides with the spoon, knocking it into the side of the oven with a clank. Ignis pulls back, cheeks flushing, and reaches down to pick it up, grabbing a dish towel to clean up the mess. "Apologies," Ignis says, feeling as awkward as a teenager, "I hope you didn't get mousse on your socks."

"Is that a yes?" Noctis asks, his eyes bright and eager. He takes the spoon from Ignis's hand and tosses it in the sink.

"Yes," Ignis says, "of course, but--"

Noctis frowns. "But what?"

He hesitates to say it, but he can't stop thinking it. "You could have anyone in all of Eos. Do you really want _me_?"

" _Ignis_ ," Noctis says, and Ignis has a sudden memory of Noctis, eleven years younger, desperately asking _why can't I save the ones I love?_ "How can you doubt me?"

He can't, not when he looks into Noctis's eyes, soft and honest and just starting to crinkle at the edges with crow's feet. Noctis smiles at him, and Ignis finds himself smiling back. "I've never doubted you," he says. Not when it mattered.

He grabs another spoon and takes a scoop of the mousse. This time, he holds it out directly to Noct's lips; Noctis takes the bite. As he swallows, their lips meet again. Ignis isn't sure which of them initiates it, but Noct's lips part this time, and his mouth is sweet with chocolate.

"It's perfect," Noctis says when he pulls back.

"It is," Ignis agrees.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my betas and cheerleaders whose names are redacted until this de-anons! Here are a few of the recipes I used as inspiration. I haven't actually cooked these, just looked at them, but they sure sound tasty, don't they?
> 
> [cranberry ricotta crostini](http://www.saveur.com/cranberry-ricotta-crostini-recipe)  
> [tahini-beet dip](https://www.saveur.com/tahini-beet-dip-recipe)  
> [potato and rutabaga gratin](https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Potato-and-Rutabaga-Gratin)  
> [the fanciest deviled eggs](https://themillennialcook.com/2017/03/27/the-fanciest-deviled-eggs/)  
> [black bass with warm rosemary-olive vinaigrette](https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/black-bass-with-warm-rosemary-olive-vinaigrette-51214820)  
> [dark chocolate mousse](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/dark-chocolate-mousse-recipe-1917102)


End file.
